A, uh, Friendly Little Game
by fairykissedprincess
Summary: Draco has Neville's toad, and the only way for Ginny to get him back is to play a game of poker - under Draco's conditions! FINISHED!
1. Finders Keepers

Chapter 1 -Finders Keepers "Give it back!"  
  
Draco stood facing the fire in the small sitting room. He smirked at the fiery voice behind him. Without turning, he drawled, "Looking for something?"  
  
Pausing for dramatic affect, he turned around and faced the redheaded girl. He fully realized the affect the firelight had on the situation, casting his shadow across red carpet. It made his lean six foot one frame appear to loom over the petite girl. The light flickered across his hair, the red and orange giving him a fiendish quality. That was precisely why he had chosen that spot - he wasn't above being melodramatic when it suited his purpose. And right now, that purpose was to appear both threatening and sexy.  
  
She gave him a withering stare, worthy even of her mother, Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"You know I am. Now give it back to me."  
  
Draco, assuming a disinterested look, extended a frog leg in front of him, pinched between the tips of his forefinger and thumb. "You mean this thing?"  
  
Ginny gasped at the leg - the leg that, up until an hour ago, had been attached to Neville's frog.  
  
"You didn't!" she said, feeling stupid as soon as the words left her mouth. Why wouldn't he? It was Malfoy after all, the stupid git who lived to make others miserable.  
  
He smirked. "I see you have inherited your brother's flare for stating the obvious."  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy. What did you do to him?"  
  
"You mean...the rest of him?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Why do you care? The frog was never any good to anyone, at least now he might make some one a tasty treat. Neville should be thankful that I got rid of such an embarrassing pet. You may even say that I did him a favor." He wasn't exactly telling the whole truth, but she didn't need to know that yet.  
  
"Neville might want him," she blinked at Draco, as the corners of his mouth started to turn up in amusement. "I mean, he might want to bury him." Damn him! Why did he always have the power to unnerve her?  
  
"Sorry, finders, keepers. Tell Longbottom if he wants his precious pet back, it'll cost him.... and he better hurry - frogs don't keep for very long."  
  
He brushed past Ginny.  
  
"What will it cost?"  
  
"Where do you expect to get the money, Weasel? Sell a lung?" he sneered, as he kept walking.  
  
"Just name your price, ferret boy!" Ginny got out through clenched teeth.  
  
Draco paused at the doorway. Got you now, Weasley.  
  
Slowly, he turned around, pretending an innocent air. Leaning against the doorframe he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Now that depends on if you want him back - dead, or alive." 


	2. Just a Game

Disclaimer: They're mine, all mine.wait a minute, awwww S***. They're some person's named J.K. Rowling's. (????)  
  
Chapter 2 - Just a Game  
  
Ginny looked at him, dumbfounded. "I thought you said the frog was dead?"  
  
"I never said that. You just assumed it." He looked smug enough to slap. Ginny wanted to take him up on that unspoken invitation.  
  
"Bu-bu-but," she stammered. "You have its leg."  
  
"So?"  
  
"And its not attached to the frog!" she blurted out, blushing at how foolish and naïve she sounded.  
  
"Really now, ...Virginia. Here I thought you were near the top of your class. You should know that sixth years are taught how to keep parts of the body alive even when they are separated from the rest." He paused for a moment, reflecting. "Granted it's mostly used so that severed limbs can be preserved until they are reattached, but I believe I may have found a more, interesting use for it." He snickered at his own private joke.  
  
Ginny's face was flaming a color that rivaled her auburn curls. She tried to take a calming breath. If this had been her brother, she would have lunged for the frog leg. However, she didn't think that would be the best course of action to take with Malfoy. He may have looked lean, but from his exploits on the quidditch field, she knew he probably had to have a great deal of muscle on him. She didn't want to attack and give him the advantage. Best thing was to keep it to verbal sparring, which Ginny excelled at.  
  
"I didn't hold my own against my older brothers to become dimwitted!" she thought, her tone wry with amusement.  
  
Ginny knew she should walk away - or at least get some help. She was bargaining with the devil and knew no good could come of it. Still, remembering the way Neville had looked when he'd lost his toad...she needed to get it back. As for getting help, everyone already thought she was an appendage of the amazing trio. If she wanted strike out on her own, now was as good of a time as any. Steeling her mind against any further surprises, she forced herself to meet his gaze, despite the fact her hands were trembling now. She clasped them behind her back and prayed that Malfoy hadn't seen that telling movement.  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy," she practically spat the name.  
  
He smiled maliciously at her. Then, spreading his arms wide, replied, "I thought I'd give you a sporting chance. I heard you like to play cards. I thought you might want to play a round or two of poker, and try to win back the pieces of your friend's pet."  
  
Ginny smiled to herself. She was an excellent poker player. She had already bested her house to the point where no one would play her when there was anything at stake. Of course, he wouldn't know that. He would arrogantly assume that she wasn't any good - that was probably why he suggested the game. She would have the advantage.  
  
Draco smiled to himself. He could see the wheels turning in her head, calculating her odds. She was missing one critical piece of information, though. He knew her skill - had observed it first hand, in fact, and was prepared to play against her.  
  
Potter isn't the only one with an invisibility cloak.  
  
He had learned from Neville, the stuttering fool, that the other houses had a card night every third week, in one of the empty classrooms. He remembered it quite well.  
  
Neville was hurrying down the hall, trying not to be late for the game. He rounded a corner and ran straight into one of Malfoy's bodyguards - Goyle.  
  
"Where do you think your going?" Draco sneered at the shaking boy.  
  
"N-n-n-nowhere."  
  
"What have you got there?" he asked reaching for two small packages. Out of one fell a variety of sweets from Hogsmeade. The other contained a simple package of Muggle cards. "Gifts for your girlfriend?"  
  
Crabb and Goyle started to help themselves to the sweets, as Draco headed back towards the dungeons - insulting Neville wasn't any challenge for him, so he might as well go off in search of more interesting targets. ' The goons can handle this one,' he thought.  
  
"Hey, I need that," cried Neville. "They won't let me play if I don't have..."  
  
He stopped suddenly, and it was that guilty silence, more than his words, that let Draco know something was up. Something interesting, something Neville didn't want him to know about...  
  
"Play what," he drawled, motioning for his lackeys to keep Neville from running away.  
  
Neville, sensing he had said too much already, tried to back up, right into the wall of the human flesh behind him.  
  
"N-n-n-nothing."  
  
"C'mon, Longbottom.you know you want to tell me."  
  
"And.I-I-if I d-d-don't?" Neville said drawing himself up.  
  
"Well," he smirked at the Gryffindor's feeble attempt at bravery. "You'll want to before too long." 


	3. Bargaining With the Devil

Chapter 3 - Bargaining With the Devil  
  
Wiping all emotion from her face, Ginny started, "Well, I'm not sure.what would be the terms." Never get involved in a game unless the terms were stated well in advance. That has to be one of the most valuable life lessons the twins taught her.after embarrassing her more than a couple of times.  
  
"A simple, plain game of poker. Nothing is wild, you play me for the toad - piece, by piece."  
  
"I don't think I want to know, but where are the toad, um, pieces?"  
  
Draco spread his arms wide, perching on the edge of the chair, crossing one ankle over the other -the epitome of cool, he thought. "You're looking at them."  
  
"Ugh! That sounds like a bad pick up line," she said, giggling.  
  
"Stop that!" he snapped, standing up suddenly.  
  
She giggled harder.  
  
Disgusted, he ran his hand through blonde hair, messing up the gelled back look he wore it in. "I'm out of here." He turned to the door in a huff.  
  
"Wait, wait," she gasped, stepping towards him while trying to catch her breath. "I'm sorry. Come back here."  
  
"Say pretty please."  
  
"Sod off."  
  
"Close enough. Okay, here is how it works. I 'separated' Neville's frog into six different pieces. I'll wager them one at a time, just like they were money. You can try and win them one at a time, or raise the stakes. You win the six pieces, and I'll put the toad back together again. Have we a deal?"  
  
"Wait a minute! Are there just, pieces, of the frog." She turned a little green at the thought. She'd do anything to help Neville, but picking up pieces of a dismembered toad wasn't something she'd leap to do.. frog spleens in Potions were bad enough!  
  
"Not exactly. I transfigured them. I needed something to wear tonight."  
  
"What? What does that have to do with anything?" She asked, confused, not following his train of thought. Ginny looked at him, taking in his self- satisfied smirk and the suggestive way he looked her over - from the tips of her boots to the top of her head. Realization slowly dawned on her.  
  
"No way! There is no way.."  
  
"C'mon, Vir-gin-ia," he drawled. "You need to be able to have something to wager.it's not fair for me to put up the toad parts without something in return. I transfigured them into clothes that way you'll be able to wager something of equal value."  
  
"Thanks, Malfoy. You're always thinking of me," sarcasm evident in both her voice and the way she rolled her eyes.  
  
'You have no idea,' he remarked to himself.  
  
"Care to play strip poker, Weasel?" Draco asked, giving her a suggestive once over, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 


	4. A Simple Game? or 'Draco Takes it Off'

Hey.. thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far.. you guys rock! I'm sorry it has taken so long to post this chapter; I've been trying to learn how to play poker, to make it more realistic!  
  
To respond to the most frequent comment, yes, Draco will be stripping.at least somewhat. Keep it mind the rating, though, so don't get your hopes up too high : D This chapter title is for all of you though (at least those of you who told me to have Draco, ahem take it all off)  
  
Anyway, I'm hoping to write at least a chapter or two involving each hand they play..when I get tired of the clothing going back and forth, one of them will raise the stakes for the rest of the clothing!  
  
  
  
Chapter 4 - A Simple Game? Or 'Draco Takes it Off'  
  
"This is not happening," Ginny hid her face in her hands and whispered to herself.  
  
"Oh, but it is."  
  
Ginny jumped at the words that were whispered into her right ear. Somehow, without making a sound, Draco had circled around her and now stood directly behind her, his head bent down and his lips mere centimeters from her ear.  
  
She gasped out loud. Hurriedly, she turned around and backed towards the fireplace.away from Draco. She only stopped when the back of her thighs hit a polished oak table.  
  
Trying to fight the almost instinctive need to put the table between her and Draco, she took a steadying breath. "You realize my brothers will kill you for this."  
  
"Yes, but if you had told them, they would have been here already, and somehow I have a feeling that you neglected to mention it to the amazing trio." His didn't look at her, but instead examined his manicured fingernails - as if signaling the fact that he was not worried about her brothers.  
  
Ginny bit her lower lip. She wasn't sure what she should do. If any of her brothers found out about this, they would pound Malfoy first, and ask questions later. Then again, they would certainly lock her in her dorm room until she was thirty. She wasn't a little girl anymore, a fact that no one seemed to notice.except maybe Malfoy. Ginny could have laughed at the irony. She was a fifth year for goodness sakes! She didn't need anyone protecting her. Then again, she was dealing with Malfoy, the blonde devil incarnate himself.  
  
She could just hear Ron now, 'You went off by yourself to look for Malfoy! I'll kill him! You just wait 'til I'm through. What were you thinking.'  
  
Looking him in the eye, Ginny made her decision. "I'm in," she declared, brown eyes going flinty at the thought of Ron over-reacting.  
  
Malfoy looked at her strangely, then nodded.  
  
"I surprised him!" Ginny thought. "He didn't think I'd agree. I wonder why he suggested it then? Maybe.wait, I've got to remember to focus now.focus!"  
  
Draco's mask dropped into place a second later. "Have a seat, Virginia." He said, gesturing towards a dark oak table where a pack of unopened lay, along a bottle of butterbeer and two glasses.  
  
Ginny pulled out one of the high back chairs and slowly lowered herself onto the green velvet seat. It made a slight squishing noise as she shifted, trying to get comfortable in what was decidedly a comfortless situation.  
  
Malfoy pulled out the chair across the table from her and sank down into it, without seeming to have a care in the world, although his mind raced as his thoughts tumbled and climbed over one another. It was only the years as a Slytherin that enabled him to keep his face impassive.  
  
"This is never going to work, this is never going to work, this is never." he thought desperately.  
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this, I can't believe I'm..." Ginny fought not to panic.  
  
Putting on a practiced smirk, Malf- Draco looked her up and down. "I don't suppose you'd like to save us both the time and just hand over your clothes right now, would you?"  
  
He got his answer in the form of a pack of cards flying at his head. Draco wasn't a seeker for nothing, however, and he easily managed to catch the small object.  
  
"Temper, temper, Virginia. Then again, I suppose I should be thankful it wasn't one of the glasses, though."  
  
Ginny snorted.  
  
"Anyway, shall we begin? Do you want to deal or shall I?"  
  
Another snort.  
  
"Very well, I'll deal." Draco broke the seal on the cards and languidly shuffled them, never taking his eyes off the brooding redhead. "You know, this will be a much more pleasant experience if you actually talk."  
  
"You know," Ginny mimicked. "This would be a much more pleasant experience if you weren't here."  
  
Draco gave a emotionless chuckle.  
  
'Maybe I should forget this.. just give the toad to her..' Draco dismissed the thought immediately. 'No, I do have a reputation to preserve. I got myself into this, and now I'm going to have to see it through.stupid teenage hormones!' (A/N: sorry, I couldn't resist that one!)  
  
"Fine," exclaimed a voice, startling Draco. "Let's just get this over with. What's the game?"  
  
"Five card draw - nothing's wild. Shall we open the betting with," Ginny glared at him, as if daring him to say anything remotely sexual. "A shoe?"  
  
"Fine. I assume I don't have to take it off unless you win?" Like that was going to happen, Ginny thought.  
  
"Naturally. After all, I'm not totally heartless."  
  
Ginny gave him a look that spoke volumes, but let the comment slide.  
  
Draco dealt Ginny and himself each five cards, then set the deck face down in the middle of the table. Picking up his cards, he looked at the hand he was dealt.  
  
"Hmmm..jack, two tens, a three and two..not so great..wonder what she had." Draco looked over at his opponent.  
  
Ginny kept her face impassive - the sign of a good poker player. Years of bluffing against six older brothers had taught her to keep her eyes from showing any emotion either. Slowly, as if wading through water, Ginny lay two cards down on the table.  
  
Voice neutral, she said simply, "Two cards, please."  
  
Draco dealt her two, and then helped himself to three. A six and two fours. Two pair - nothing stellar.Draco could curse his luck.  
  
He could, or he could play smart - Malfoy style. Unobtrusively as possible, he removed his wand from his robe pocket where it was stashed. Quickly, he tapped the wand on the underside of the table, under the stack of cards, whispering a single word while his face was still buried in his cards.  
  
Ginny didn't notice anything unusual.  
  
"Shall we start the betting? I'll see the shoe and raise you a sock."  
  
Draco looked down at his cards, then back at Ginny. He should call.. her hand was far better than his. Still, if he got greedy this early in the game, she would become suspicious. A sibling of the 'terrible-twin- weasels' would be able to spot a scam - unless it was very carefully played out. Besides, it wasn't like he was a shrinking violet and they were only his feet. "Very well. I'll see your bet and raise you another shoe."  
  
Ginny looked at him.he had to be bluffing.there was no way he could beat her hand.then again, no reason to start the game off half naked. "Very well. I call."  
  
He lay down his cards, then looked expectantly at her. She smiled triumphantly, showing a straight. "Well, I guess I win this round." She allowed herself a small smirk. "Well? Pay up, blondie."  
  
Never breaking eye contact, he crossed his left ankle over his right knee. Slowly he slipped off his shoe, then the sock and placed them off the side of the table. In one fluid movement, he switched legs, and removed his other shoe, placing it alongside its match.  
  
'Damn! Only Drac-Malfoy could make ankles sexy!' Ginny gathered both hands of cards in one sweep and handed them across the table.  
  
'Perhaps this won't be so bad after all,' she thought as she watched Draco deal out the next hand. 'Then again, I don't make the mistake of believing 'not bad' equals 'a pleasant way to spend my evening'. Oh well. Putting Draco in his place can't be the worst thing I've ever needed to do. Who knows? Sending him back to his dorm in his underwear might just be the thing he needs to cut him down to size.'  
  
She noticed him watching her. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she met his stare, then looked meaningfully at the deck he carelessly shuffled.  
  
Draco struggled to suppress an evil grin as she helped herself to the butterbeer.  
  
'Enjoy it while you can, Virginia. Enjoy it while you can.' 


	5. Who’s Advantage Is It, Anyway?

Hello! I'm soooooo sorry it's taken me this long to update. Apparently, professors don't believe writing a fanfiction is a valid excuse for turning in work late (?????). So, I wanted to thank everyone for his or her support and for waiting so patiently. So thanks, I hope you enjoy and I will be getting out the next chapter quicker than the last one.(I hope!).  
  
Who's Advantage Is It, Anyway?  
  
Draco looked across the table at Ginny drinking her butterbeer.  
  
'Maybe she does have the advantage' thought Draco as he watched her small throat work, swallowing her drink. 'After all, how many girls could look so good just taking a drink.. Damn! Focus! Just focus! If you can't concentrate now, what's going to happen later in the game.Well, I know what I want to happen, what will is another question.'  
  
Draco shuffled the deck, then shuffled it again, allowing himself time to think. He didn't want to admit it, but Ginny looked good. Gone was the little girl that ran after Potter. In her place stood a beautiful girl, slender and possessing an innate grace that a queen would kill to have. Although Ron would kill if he heard it, any boy at Hogwarts would have to agree that, at least for Ginny, slender and athletic didn't equal "formless". Instead, she had curves in just the right locations that not even the hand-me-down robes could conceal.  
  
Draco mentally shook himself. There was no need to go down that road. He needed to concentrate, not get lost in a fantasy about the redheaded female that sat mere feet away from him.  
  
Ginny noticed that Draco seemed lost in thought. Rather than interrupt him, she took the opportunity to assess her own situation. She had to admit; he was a bit unnerving to be around. She tried to tell herself that it was because he was a bastard, but, truthfully, he wasn't that bad. Since his father had been captured and his mother killed, he had mellowed quite a bit. He still harassed and tormented, but it wasn't with the same malice as before. He had already inherited millions of galleons - he had nothing left to prove. It was almost as if..  
  
Ginny sat up a little straight. 'Oh-my-goodness! Is he flirting with me ?!?!?' Suddenly this poker game didn't seem just an attempt to annoy her. If he was actually attracted to her.  
  
She dismissed the thought. 'He wouldn't be flirting with me, of all people.' It was, after all Dra-.uh, Malfoy, one of the better-looking guys of the school. 'Well,' thought Ginny. 'If I'm completely honest with myself, he's the sexiest man alive.wait.. am I attracted to him?!?!?'  
  
Ginny suddenly had a bad feeling about the rest of the evening.  
  
Looking down at the table, she realized Draco had already dealt. Hurriedly, she grabbed her cards, trying not to appear flustered. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to escape her opponent's attention.  
  
"Warm Virginia? Feel free to take off something."  
  
Ginny cursed the Weasley genes that gave her the telltale blush.  
  
Ginny tilted her head up, so that she was able to look down her nose at Draco, not an easy feat at her height of 5'5". In her most superior tone, she stated, "I fully intend to walk out of here the same way I came in. Fully dressed. Now, are you ready to continue, I want three cards."  
  
Draco's gray eyes went flinty for a second as he dealt her three cards. He got himself under control as he helped himself to two. He couldn't let her get to him. He needed to stay fully in control. Draco called on the resolve that had earned him the nickname of the ice prince of Slytherin, and then temporarily wondered if it was possible. The main reason she liked Ginny was her ability to get underneath his skin. The rest of the girls of Hogwarts fit into two categories - they ran after him because of his money, or they just ran. Ginny was in a league by herself.Ginny was.was.  
  
Waiting for him to bet!  
  
Cursing himself again, he quickly scanned for his smirk.it wasn't very hard to find.  
  
"Well, Vir-gin-ia, how do you want to do this? I can't exactly bet one sock for another.you already have mine? So what do you think is fair? And don't try and be clever - this isn't the time or the place for it."  
  
'What's fair? Not forcing me to play this game - that's what's fair.' Instead she found herself saying, "My socks and shoes for your robe."  
  
Draco looked at Ginny for a long moment, making her think that he was going to reject her proposal, before giving a slight nod.  
  
"Since you seem to be willing to bargain, we'll continue this way - I'll raise you a piece of your clothing and we'll haggle as to what is a fair exchange."  
  
Ginny's eyebrows went up a notch at the word 'fair', but she kept quiet.  
  
Looking at her cards, she noticed she had a 2,7,6,3 and jack - four of them being spades. 'Not much of anything; might as well go for the flush.'  
  
Draco looked at his cards, and saw three sets of numbers and suits. His own in the upper right hand corner showed a pair of 9's, a queen, a ten and a three. In the lower left hand corner was the tiny shifting print that mirrored Ginny's hand - a 2,7,6,3 of spades and a jack of hearts. In the middle, the inky print that indicated the next five cards in the deck.  
  
'Hmmmmm.. I don't want Vir-, uh, Weasley to get too comfortable with the idea that she is the best card player.well, that's easily remedied.'  
  
This spell had taken a while to set up, but it would be worth it. The single wand tap and a few muttered words in Latin had the spell keyed to him for the rest of the night. The number of taps with his right hand, made discreetly in the middle of the card changed that card that was to be dealt. His left had controlled the suit. Paired with the thoughtful look in his eyes, Vir-, uh, Weasley would just attribute it to a nervous habit.  
  
"One please."  
  
'She'll never know what hit her!' he thought with a smirk as he tapped the card with his left hand, giving her the spade she needed for a flush. Offering her a card, he pretended to think about his cards for a moment, continually tapping them with a finger, allowing himself only a marginally better hand, nothing too unbelievable. 


	6. The Plot Thickens Or How’d He...

Wow! Two chapters in one week, it could only mean one thing..I'm on break from classes! I hope you enjoy! Oh, yeah, by the way, I don't own these people (if I did, Draco would be locked in my basement..)  
  
Draco helped himself to three cards - a six, three and ace - cards that gave him a straight. He had toyed with the idea of simply allowing her to have something amazing - like a royal flush, allow her to bet all her clothes on one hand, then give himself five of a kind (with the aid of a wild card, of course) but that sort of low brow stunt was too immature, to.Gryfindorish for him. He liked to think as a Sytherin he had elevated the manipulative stunt into the realm of art, in a class all its own.  
  
No, this would be much more rewarding in the end if he was just patient.  
  
"Well, are you going to show?" queried the redhead, drumming her fingers on the table. Ginny may have been excellent at keeping her poker face, but she was ill equipped to be patient.  
  
Face impassive, Draco lay down his cards at the same time Ginny did, not taking his eyes off her heart-shaped face.  
  
Ginny did a double take. 'What?!?! He beat me? How did he..calm down Ginny. It's just one hand. And it's not like you lost something important.just your socks and shoes.' She took a deep breath, looking from the cards to Draco, then back to the cards.  
  
"Don't tell me you're getting shy on me, Vir-gin-ia."  
  
'Damn him! Nothing fazes him! He just keeps that stupid mask in place.a great poker face. wait, poker face, as in poker.as in.he might be pretty good.as.in.' "Do you need some help, Vir-gin-ia?"  
  
Ginny glared at him, then bent over to quickly tug off her shoes and socks in one swift motion. Tug - the right shoe and sock came off. Tug - the left shoe and sock came off. Straightening up with them in hand, she slammed the shoes down on the table with as much force as she could muster, knocking over her half-filled glass of butterbeer, soaking her cards in the process.  
  
"Tsk, tsk dear. We really need to work on that temper of yours, Vir-gin- ia."  
  
Ginny tried to remain calm, reminding herself that he was a prick, and as such was going to act like one. That being said she should just ignore it. Unfortunately, Ron wasn't the only one that lived up to his red hair.  
  
Ginny shoved herself away from the table and stood up. Grabbing a shoe, she took aim and let it fly, all in one smooth motion. Unfortunately, it had the same outcome as before - Draco caught it easily.  
  
"Nice arm. Good follow through.has someone been practicing, Vir-gin-ia?"  
  
"Stop calling me that!!!!"  
  
"What?" Draco asked, the picture of innocence, as he surveyed her clenched fists.  
  
"Virginia!"  
  
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," he said, not sounding it in the slightest. "Here I thought it was your name. What is your name then?"  
  
"It's not that! It's just.is. it's just..well,."  
  
"Yes," Draco smirked, leaning forward in his chair.  
  
"Ihatethewayyousayit." She whispered. There. It was out. She had told him.just not the reason why she didn't like the way he said it. He would have picked on her until the day he died if he knew.and probably would have hung around as a ghost to make her even more miserable.  
  
"I'm sorry. Can you run that by me again?" He stood up and leaned over the table, as if he were a coconspirator.  
  
'I don't like the way you say my name because it sounds personal.no one calls me Virginia, it sends shivers up my spine - the good kind. The kind that I definitely don't want to get from you.'  
  
She didn't say that. Even in her angered state, self-preservation kept Ginny from telling the entire truth. Instead Ginny took a calming breath, sending a prayer to any higher power that would take pity on her. "Look. It really annoys me the way you .drawl out my name. I know it's just a way for you to make fun of me, and I'm asking that, just for tonight, you say it normally, or just call me Weasley."  
  
Draco opened his mouth to tell Vir-gin-ia that that wasn't going to happen, but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes, pleading with him. Running a hand through his hair, messing it up (author's note - *sigh*) he sank back into his chair and carelessly threw a leg over the armrest. "Fine, whatever, Virginia. Can we just get back to playing?"  
  
'Where did that come from?' he thought.  
  
'Where did that come from?' she thought.  
  
Ginny smiled and almost bounded across the room to give him a hug. Luckily (or maybe not.) she remembered who this was. Settling herself, she reached for her cards, then remembered that they were now soaked with butterbeer. Reaching for her wand in her robe pocket, Ginny tried to recall the cleaning spell that would clean and dry the cards.  
  
Before she found it, Draco pulled his wand out of his sleeve and mumbled something under his breath. The glass righted itself, and the butterbeer dissipated, leaving the cards as clean as they had been before the accident.  
  
Without a word, he slipped the wand back into his sleeve.  
  
"Hey, thanks Dra-, uh, Malfoy! I was just about to. .Wait a minute.why is your wand up your sleeve. Have you been cheating!?!?!?"  
  
Furious, she stood up again, trying to intimidate Draco by looming over him, a move that might have worked better if it hadn't put her chest at eye level with his scrunched up form, a move that had the opposite effect that Ginny had most likely intended, distracting Draco from what she was saying, or rather, shouting.  
  
Blinking, he tried to grasp what she was saying. 'Eye contact.eye contact.'he chanted over and over to himself, trying to grasp at the shreds of self-discipline that had served him so well. Failing, he tried another mantra - 'Snape in a polka dot dress.Snape in a polka dot dress.' That one seemed to be disturbing enough to do the trick. Finally dragging his gray stare to meet her brown one, now blazing with anger, he asked, in the picture of calm reserve, "Huh?"  
  
'Smooth, Malfoy. Very smooth.' he berated himself.  
  
"Don't pretend to ignore me. You heard me. I think you're cheating!" 


	7. Cheaters always win? They do when they'...

Last time..  
  
"Don't pretend to ignore me. You heard me. I think you're cheating!"  
  
Ooooooooooo! Dum dum dum duuuuuummmmmm! How is our favorite bad boy going to get out of this one? Will he admit he's cheating? Will Ginny stay suspicious? Will she leave?..Of course not! What's the point of writing about a game of strip poker if the characters don't strip! (Remember the rating..Draco may be a prat, but he is going to eventually have to gentlemanly.for rating if nothing else! *snickers evilly*).  
  
I'm trying something new..two colons (::) will indicate thought since I can't figure out how to use italics. Tell me if you like it or the single ' ' better.  
  
Enjoy! ************************************************************************  
  
"Excuse me? What makes you say that?"  
  
Ginny, with her best Draco impersonation, exclaimed in a sarcastic tone, "Well, gee, I don't know. Perhaps it's the fact that you won the last hand, the fact that you are *Draco Malfoy* or maybe it's the fact that YOU HAVE A WAND UP YOUR SLEEVE!" she finished in a near shout.  
  
Draco made a motion to quiet her, which caused Ginny to sputter indignantly. Draco hurriedly grabbed Ginny and covered her mouth with....his hand (authors note: sorry.not yet! I'm just toying with you!)  
  
"Listen Vir-gin.., uh, Virginia. This room may seem pretty isolated because it's deep in the dungeons and no one ever comes here.but the Slytherin common room is directly overhead and if you insist on shouting, some one might just decide to come down and investigate the source of the noise. And we both know if a Slytherin found us my reputation wouldn't be the one to suffer." he left the implication hang in the air. "Ok.I'm going to take my hand away now. Do you think you can contain your excitement?"  
  
Ginny glared at him.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes."  
  
While slowly withdrawing his hand, Ginny caught him off guard and gave him a hard shove across the table he had been leaning over. Landing with an ungraceful thump, he regarded the girl across from him. With mussed hair, flushed cheeks and eyes wide with some emotion, shock perhaps, she looked.lovely, Draco thought. Some one very much alive in the icy place he resided.  
  
Draco shook himself out of that potentially dangerous line of thought. Instead he looked Ginny in the eyes, and found himself speaking.  
  
"Virginia, I'm sorry you think I'm cheating but how about this. Both of us will place our wands on the table, in plain view of the other. Also, you are free to deal if you like. Would that be enough to satisfy you? I don't have another pack of cards, or else I'd offer to switch decks. But you did see for yourself that the deck as sealed, so I wouldn't have been able to do anything to it before it was opened." That was because of a charm placed on seals of wizarding products that prevented magical tampering.  
  
Ginny deliberated for a moment. It wasn't the fact that Draco might have been cheating that bothered her - she should have been anticipating the possibility. It was the fact that he appeared human, even charming, and that had allowed her to let down her guard.  
  
::No, I'm not falling for a Malfoy, a stupid crush on him is bad enough, but that is all it is.:: Ginny told herself furiously, pointedly ignoring how delicious it had felt when he had grabbed her, even if it had just been to keep her quiet.  
  
::Virginia,..Virginia..Vir.:: hmmm. ::Even the way he says my name is sexy.Virgina..VIRGINIA!::  
  
Ginny blinked and noticed Draco staring at her. ::Ohmygoodness! He was talking to me!::  
  
"What?" ::Great Ginny..way to be unobtrusive about the whole zoning out thing.::  
  
"I said is eve-ry-thing o-k?" he spoke slowly as if to a child.  
  
"I'm fine, Malfoy," she practically spat the name out. "And I'm not a child, so don't speak to me like I'm one!"  
  
::I never thought you were.::  
  
Seeing the scowl on Ginny's face, he thought maybe he had said that last thought aloud, but was prevented from apologizing by his poker opponent.  
  
"As for your conditions, they're fine. Just put your wand on the table, hand over the cards and lets finish this game."  
  
(Should I end it here???)  
  
  
  
(No, I'm not that cruel!)  
  
Draco laid his wand on the table as he watched Ginny's slim fingers slowly shuffle the cards to deal them.  
  
::It's so unfair! I just HAD to have a crush on the youngest and only female child of the only family that hates my father more than I do.and even if I could convince her to go out with me, I'd have to deal with that prat of a brother of hers - Ron. And the rest can't be much better.::  
  
While Draco pondered on the cruel ironies of life, Ginny was lost in her own thoughts, absentmindedly dealing the cards.  
  
If Draco had had any idea of what was going on in the young woman's head, he most likely would have cast a mind-reading charm. But as our sexy young man was brilliant, but not omnipotent (that's Dumbledore's job!), there was no way he would have had the foresight to know that Ginny's thoughts kept drifting to him.and not in the murderous sense he would have imagined.  
  
::Damn insufferable prick! If he was any other guy, I'd go after him in a heartbeat.but noooooo. He had to be Draco bloody Malfoy. Son of my father's worst enemy and my the bane of my brother's existence..*sigh*.::  
  
Resolving if she couldn't date him, she could at least see some skin (author's note: bad author, bad author (), Ginny looked into Draco eyes, that seemed even farther away than usual.  
  
"Right then, how about a robe and shirt for this bet."  
  
Draco blinked, then sneered at her. "That eager to be naked?"  
  
"Not going to happen. So, are you willing to be that naked?" she challenged.  
  
Draco glared. "Fine, I'm in. Two please."  
  
Ginny dealt him two, then helped herself to three.  
  
Looking down, she realized that she was in trouble. She only had a pair of Jacks. If Draco had anything, she would lose. Looking up, she tried to judge from Draco's expressing if he had anything worthwhile. He looked a little pale. ::Good!:: she thought. ::Well, I guess I'll go for it then.::  
  
Draco had to call on every icy reserve of self-control he had to keep from shouting in joy. A flush, one he got without even cheating..uh, playing creatively, as he liked to call it. Saying that Draco was an ok poker player was like saying the ocean was slightly damp. The spell he cast was simply to assure a quick victory, he had no doubt that he could have won, even against Ginny. ::I guess I'll never know now.:: he told himself.  
  
"What do you have?"  
  
Trying not to smile, Ginny lay down her hand, confident that she had read Draco correctly. She looked at Draco expectantly.  
  
Dramatic as always, Draco lay down his cards, one by one. Ginny's elation at besting her opponent slowly turned to horror as she realized he had the better hand.  
  
"But I thought." she blurted out before she could stop herself.  
  
Draco allowed himself a small smirk. "What? That I was upset with my hand? You may have mastered the poker face, but growing up with a sadistic bastard for a father teaches one to not only mask emotions, but fake a completely one."  
  
Ginny slowly stood up. ::This is not happening!:: she thought desperately, as she slowly undid the clasps that held her robe together, allowing it to pull at her feet. Pointedly staring past Draco's shoulder, she stoically unbuttoned her blouse, letting it slide of her shoulders and onto the chair. Standing there for a moment, she attempted to regain her composure, as she slowly sank back into her chair. Being from a family of boys, she had never grown comfortable with her figure, but now was trying desperately to remind herself she wasn't much to look at. Skinny, with gangly legs, she was no beauty.  
  
::She beautiful:: thought Draco as he gazed, or rather stared at the pale goddess before him. Noticing how nervous she was, he tried to think of something to say that would make her angry which would not only make her more beautiful (he loved to tease her for that very reason) but she would also forget her embarrassment. He opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't make a sound.  
  
::Quick before she realizes how much I like her!:: he silently pleaded.  
  
::Sure:: his brain responded. ::We'll come up with a suitably cutting response..as soon as you manage to stop your opened mouth stare.::  
  
Screwing up her courage, Ginny forced herself to look up.  
  
She was unprepared for the wide eyed reverence with which he was looking at her.. 


	8. Too Much Information

Stupid Classes! They get in the way of the important writing. Anyway, sorry that it has been sooooo long. I've had the worst case of writer's block. Thanks to everyone for there encouragement, excitement and suggestions. Finals are over in two weeks, so I hope to have the next chapter out shortly after that.  
  
You know the drill. These characters are in no way, shape or form mine. JK Rowling just lets me play with them, but won't let me keep Draco (*pouts*).  
  
Anyway, just a warning, it's still PG-13, but there is a great deal on innuendo, so considered yourself warned.  
  
Too much information  
  
Ginny was shocked at the expression in Draco's gaze. It wasn't an unfamiliar one. She had seen it before, but it had never been directed at her. She'd seen it between Ron and Hermione, her mother and father, and Fred and Angelina (though the last was usually followed by some sort of explosion in their midst).  
  
It wasn't a leer, or the look of icy indifference he usually gave her. It was.it made her feel.almost cherished, in a way.  
  
Ginny knew she should say something, if no other reason that to discourage Draco from staring, but she couldn't seem to make the move to end the intimate silence that lay between them. It felt right - him looking at her, as if he had every right to take her in with his eyes, mapping out her body as an artist would a sculpture. It shouldn't feel natural for her to be standing half-naked in front of an enemy, her number one enemy that made it his mission in life to make hers miserable. But he didn't feel like an enemy now, or the slimy git that knocked her books down and poked fun at her family. Instead he felt like a, (dare she say it?) lover.  
  
Ginny's struggled to breathe, and suddenly the room became too warm. Draco hadn't moved, hadn't blinked, but had simply taken in the sight before him. Suddenly he was too close..and too far away. The room began to spin as Ginny remained locked in that gaze. Ginny gripped the edge of the table, desperate to hold onto something that felt solid, that made sense at the moment, even as she willed it to go on.  
  
That sudden movement startled Draco out of his reverie. He still was unable to take his eyes off of her, but at least he now realized what he was doing. The way Ginny looked at him, without fear or contempt or disgust, didn't help matters either. It appeared as if she was granting him permission to see her in such a vulnerable and undressed state. Still, he felt he had to say something to break to silence she might misinterpret (or interpret all too correctly), so he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.  
  
"Wow."  
  
Ginny blushed, at what she thought was the biggest comment some one had ever paid her.  
  
Draco's brain caught up with his hormone-fogged words a split second later, prompting him to save what was left of pride and not let his her know his true feelings for this beauty of a girl.  
  
"I mean, .who knew? You really are a girl under all that." Draco berated himself for such a lame reply.  
  
Ginny's cheeks washed with a faint color, embarrassed about the direction her thoughts had been taking, about this Slytherin, the devil incarnate before her. Calling on her store of retorts born from having the infamous Weasley twins as brothers. "Really?!?! I'm so glad to know that - what a relief. And here I thought these things," she said pointing to her chest, "where some sort of abnormal growth."  
  
Draco's eye roved down her body to the area in which she pointed- it seemed beyond his control to stop them. Knowing she had seen the telling action, Draco opened his mouth to fling back another insult, but shut it quickly.  
  
::Finally, the last word.::  
  
Looking carefully, Ginny thought Draco appeared flushed. It was a stark contrast on his pale skin to see the faint pink undertones, even more so due to his usually calm exterior. ::Does that mean that I have some sort of affect on him.or maybe, he has some sort of feeli.no Ginny, don't go there. It is probably just a trick of the light. Draco is the ultimate ice prince. No way in hell that he's capable of actual emotions.if anything it's just lust::  
  
The thought that she could be found desirable, sent her stomach dropping, and her searching for Draco's eyes, which he steadfastly kept on his butterbeer in front of him. She picked up the cards and started to shuffle the deck.  
  
Draco tried to think of something to say, anything at all to give Virginia the impression that she didn't have any affect on him..but his brain wasn't cooperating at the moment. It seemed to have the crazy idea that reminding him to breathe took priority over saving face in front of Virginia That being the case it was several minutes before he was able to breathe normally and able to remark, "I see not all of your clothes are hand-me- downs. Muggles starting to become a more lucrative business for your father?"  
  
Ginny looked confused for a moment before following Draco's gaze to her midnight blue bra. Refusing to let herself be embarrassed, she drew herself up in the chair, (giving Draco an even better view of her chest.not that he was going to tell her that!).  
  
"No, you're mistaken. This was a hand-me-down from my older brother Charlie. When he outgrew his B cup, he gave me all his old lingerie. Besides, this color looked absolutely beastly on him."  
  
"B-cup?" He gazed frankly at her chest, as if doubting her words  
  
Shit! Why had she just told him her bra size? Not even her roommates knew that. That was not the sort of information you didn't tell a guy.especially one who might use the information for all sorts of blackmail, the kind she didn't even want to think about.  
  
So what was that tingling in the pit of her stomach?  
  
Well, she had already leaked the information, she might as well not let him know that it bothered her. She opened her mouth to remark on his disbelief.  
  
Wait!.what did he know about bra sizes anyway? It wasn't her fault that the bra was a little on the small side, her family couldn't keep buying her new clothes every time she had a growth spurt..in one area or another. Bras were a lower priority because no one ever saw them, so it didn't matter if they didn't cover her completely..  
  
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she realized just what sort of image she might be presenting to her adversary, and the immediate need to draw attention from the area Draco seemed so preoccupied with.  
  
Fixing him with her best matter-of-fact glare, she replied, "Yes, B. I'm sure you're not familiar with the size, they aren't exactly Pansy's DD."  
  
Now what had prompted her to say that?!?! She wanted him off the subject of her chest, not to comparing them with another girl's.  
  
She looked up at the speculative gleam in his eyes, as if he was appraising her chest like a diamond, or something else equally as valuable.  
  
"I've had a little experience with various sizes, which make me doubt your size. As for Pansy's? Other guys can have 'em. Me? I prefer one's that fit in the palm of my hands, those are usually the ones that respond the most." He gave her, or rather her chest, a rather pointed look.  
  
Ginny turned beet red this time, and looked down. Images of Draco's hands on her chest filled her vision as she realized, to her abject horror, that she wouldn't object to finding it out for herself if they did fit in his hands.  
  
::All right Ginny,:: she told herself. ::New game plan. Just don't say anything. Just deal the cards, and don't say another word, and forget his hands on your breasts, your stomach, leaning in to give you a kiss..::  
  
Ginny almost screamed in frustration.  
  
Grabbing the deck that lay forgotten in front of her, she quickly dealt, trying to ignore the way her hands shook when she felt his gaze on her.  
  
Draco leaned back in his chair and simply watched her. He hadn't meant to let it slip, about his preferences in, uh, a woman's assets, but he was glad he had. It obviously unnerved her, making her hands, indeed her entire body tremble as she dealt the next round.  
  
So she was aware of the sexual tension in the room. She felt it, was affected by, just as he was. Good, at least he wasn't the only one suffering.  
  
A devilish thought crossed his mind.  
  
::I wonder how she'd react if she wasn't the only one half-dressed in the room.::  
  
Draco grinned, unaware that Ginny had seen the action.  
  
She barely contained her sharp intake of breath. Ginny suddenly realized that no matter how things ended this evening, it was not going to end well. One of them was going to end up naked, and either way, it wasn't going to be a good situation. 


	9. The Sexy Slytherin

Last time, when we left our poker players, Draco and Ginny were having a, uh, friendly little discussion about their respective assets… take that how you will. 

Sorry it's been awhile… A HUGE case of writer's block. Also, fanfiction.net does not like me for some reason. Anyway, I hope to finish this story soon, only one or two chapters left to go. Just out of curiosity, would anyone be interested in a sequel? I don't think they will actually get together in this story, but I was thinking that Ginny should at least attempt to get Draco back for this situation… thoughts? comments? ideas?

Anyway, I don't own any of these marvelous characters or the Harry Potter series or, lets face it, you'd still be waiting for the first book. : )

Draco drew himself up at the possibility of making dear Virginia even more uncomfortable…if that was even possible. Trying for an air of nonchalance, he reached for the cards in front of him. Picking them up, he noticed his hand…two jacks, a ten and a pair of threes. Naturally. A good hand when he didn't want to win… 'Wonder what the Weasley has?' he asked himself. 'Easy enough to find out.' 

One pair. She had a pair of fours. How was he supposed to lose his shirt if she didn't have the right hand!!! 

Draco thought for a minute. She had dealt, so she had to wait for him to decide how many cards he wanted. That would give him a crucial minute. Hmmmm… what to do… He could put down one of his pairs, and let her win, but it would look suspicious if he were to bet his shirt on a pair of threes, unless…

Draco had to give himself a pat on the back for his stroke of genius. He had arranged the spell so that he could control the cards that were to come up…what if he was to help her instead of himself? But, the problem was, how many cards would she take???? He couldn't guarantee a winning hand if she didn't pick up the right number of cards…but still, the idea had merit…now, what cards to give her…

"Uh, Draco,"

"Hmmm?" he asked, looking up quickly. Big mistake. Looking into those wide eyes of hers, Draco felt bad for doing this to her. Bad, but not quite bad enough to forfeit the game and hand over the toad. 

"How many?"

Shaking himself, he held up two fingers. As she busied herself with his cards, he unobtrusively arranged to help her win this hand. 

Ginny was surprised at Draco's agitation. Despite always seeming in control of his emotions, something seemed to have gotten the better of him. His face didn't show it, but his hands weren't still, constantly tapping the table with his fingers.

Handing over Draco's cards, Ginny helped herself to two. Looking down at her hand, she almost was unable to contain her excitement. She had picked up a four. Not only a four, but a jack, giving her a full house. Draco couldn't have anything better!

Draco looked at his hand. It now contained a pair of threes and a pair of tens…nothing that wasn't respectable, but nothing that was spectacular either.

"Shall we start the bidding then?" 

Draco looked up at Ginny. Her tone was neutral, bored even, but her eyes gleamed a little brighter than usual.

'You're welcome, Virginia', he drawled to himself, mentally tipping his head in her direction. 

"Very well. I want the skirt."

'No!' Ginny looked at him, gaze unwavering. "Fine, then I want the robe and shirt."

'Perfect.' "No, I'm afraid I can't approve that. A skirt just isn't worth two items of my clothing…even if it is yours."

Ginny chewed on her bottom lip. It was a good hand, but not worth risking her bra on. She didn't really want to be sitting in her underwear, in a secluded room, with the devil himself. A gorgeous sex-god devil, for certain, but still a devil. Perhaps she could sweet talk him…or better yet, goad him into risking it without having to chance any more of her own clothing. 

"Are you that worried about your hand? If you were sure about your 'superior' poker skills, you'd be willing to take such a small risk. Then again, if your scared that you'll end up naked, well then…" she left the implication hanging in the air.

Draco looked at her, humor in his eyes and one corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. "If you were sure about your poker skills, you'd bet another article of clothing, instead of trying to push me into a rash decision by insulting my courage. We Slytherins may be many things, but rash was never one of them."

'Damn'

"However, since I clearly am the better poker player," Draco continued, ignoring Ginny's snort of protest, "I'll go easy on you. My shirt and robe, against your skirt, tie, and hair."

"My hair?" Ginny understood the tie and, in fact, forgotten that she was wearing it (as did the author!). The hair, though, was a mystery. Surely he didn't expect her to cut it off! Ginny raised her hands to cover her braid. Sure, her hair was an awful red, but,… it was still her hair!

"No, Virginia. I don't want your hair. What use would I have for it? If, no, when I win, you have to take out the braid. Deal?"

Ginny paused for a moment, then nodded her agreement. If she had to take out her hair, at least she could hide behind it as she died from mortification. 

Draco paused at the thought of all that long hair caressing Virginia's shoulders, and wondered for a moment if he really did want to lose this hand. She always kept her hair pulled back, but he firmly believed the sight of it down would make a saint have impure thoughts.

Draco was far from sainthood.

"So what do you have?"

They both lay their cards down at the same time, and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she would keep her skirt on….at least for the moment. She wasn't forming any predictions about what the rest of the night would bring. 

Determined to make Draco as uncomfortable as she was, at least while she could, Ginny leaned back in her chair and propped her feet on the edge of the table. Crossing her feet at the ankles, and her arms over her chest, Ginny looked challengingly at the boy.

"Well? Please don't hesitate on my account."

Standing up, Draco met Ginny's gaze. Holding fast to it, he reached up and undid the clasp on his robe. As it slid off his shoulders, he reached for the cuffs on his sleeves, and undid them with a practiced flip of a thumb and forefinger. 

Flip. One cuff undone.

Flip. Second cuff undone. 

Never pausing, Draco calmly pulled his shirt tails out of his trousers. Long, lean fingers came to rest on the collar of his shirt. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he undid the first button. In slow motion, he moved on to the second button, spreading the shirt as he went.

Ginny had no illusions that Draco was going slow because he was shy. Instead, he seemed to be doing it for affect, drawing out the moment, bringing stripping to an art form.

And it was an art form, Ginny was honest enough to admit. If he didn't already have a fortune, he could have made a living just taking off his clothes, slowly, seductively, a button at a time. White shirt giving way to pale skin, stretched taunt over smooth muscle, dusted lightly with blond hair.

Ginny felt her mouth go dry and hoped her jaw wasn't hanging open, not that she had the power of mind to close it even if it was. 'Wow, who knew Quidditch was such a workout! Look at those muscles!'

Draco couldn't help but notice Ginny's reaction, would have to be dead not to notice, not to appreciate it. He knew that he looked good, years of training both on and off the Quidditch field had left flat abs, broad shoulders and a narrow waist. It didn't hurt either that the pale blond hair on his chest shimmered in the firelight, giving the appearance of a fine sheen of sweat covering his upper torso. No, it didn't hurt at all.

Ginny probably would have agreed……if she was capable of thought at the moment. 

Noting Ginny's bemused expression, and that her eyes had yet to leave his chest, Draco got a wicked idea. Calmly, as if he spent most evenings without a shirt on (A/N author does not wish to speculate if he actually does), Draco turned around and draped his cloak over the back of his chair, giving Ginny a enticing glimpse at shoulder muscles that rippled when he moved, a back that was, dare she think it, ripped. All of this topped off by a pair of trousers that hung low, and fit just a little too well.

Unhurriedly, he lowered himself into a chair. Hooking his ankle over his left knee, Draco leaned back and simply looked at Ginny. It was just as he suspected all along. That cute little blush extended from the top of her head and spread towards her breasts, fading slightly as it went. 

Catching her eyes, Draco lifted his eyebrows and assumed what he believed was a knowing smirk.

"Like what you see, Virginia? Griffyndor not have much of a selection then?" 

Quickly, Ginny swiped her feet off the table, and scooted her chair closer to the table.

"Uh, no! Of course not!"

"Oh, I see. Batting for the other team, are we?"

"What, huh..? Oh no! I mean, it's a very nice, I mean, aesthetically pleasing chest, uh… and I do like boys, ..but…um…."

Uncrossing his legs and leaning forward, chin resting in his cupped hands, "But what?"

"But you're not my type!" Ginny finished triumphantly, pleased she was able to come up with a plausible reason why she couldn't be attracted to Draco…now she just had to convince herself of it.

"Why Virginia," Draco replied, in mock surprise. "What does type have to do with you were staring at my chest. Unless, of course there is another reason behind it."

'Damn it!' thought the girl.

'Yes!' thought the boy.

"Well, uh, you see…I,…" Ginny stuttered, wondering how and when she had lost complete control of the conversation. 

Unperturbed, Draco leaned forward, standing slightly, bringing him within inches of Ginny. Ginny inhaled sharply, looking into the blonde's eyes. To her horror, her tongue darted out and wet her lower lip.

Cocking one eyebrow, and allowing himself a small smile, Draco leaned even closer as Ginny's eyes started to flutter shut. When he was within inches of her, Draco grabbed her hand, and pulled it towards him….

…and set the deck of cards in it. Smiling, he sank back in his chair. "Well, shall we deal the next hand?"

Tune in next time, for the final hand.

Will Ginny end up completely naked? Will Draco?

Will Ginny find out Draco's been cheating? Or will he have a sudden attack of conscience?

Honestly….I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know when I decide!


	10. Winner Takes All

Ok, I have no excuses (at least none that you want to hear) but anyway, here is the final chapter. Thanks for all your support throughout this. I don't know if I'll be writing anything for awhile, but if I do, I think I'll finish it before I post anything online.  
  
Thanks again!  
  
Winner Takes All  
  
Ginny was tempted to throw the cards back at Draco, but they had already established that was an exercise in futility. If she couldn't hurt him physically, then at least she could hit him where it counted - his pride. Losing all his clothing to a girl should have the desired effect. After all, nobody, not even some one with a body like Draco's, would want to walk back to the dorm naked.  
  
Ginny could have slapped herself for putting the mental image of a naked Draco in her mind. It was repulsive, it was horrible, it was..  
  
So tempting.  
  
Quickly, as if to stem the tide of images that that one thought began, Ginny hurriedly dealt the cards. Draco noticed her discomfort, but blissfully chose not to comment on it.  
  
Draco picked up and quickly perused his hand. Somehow, he knew it was now or never. The time was right to go for broke, to risk it and get those clothes.  
  
He had to pause for a moment, though. 'I mean, if I like her so much, why am I so desperate to do something that I know is going to embarrass her? Shouldn't I just let her go?' Draco's conscience, it seemed, had caught up with him and was giving him the very uncommon feeling of guilt.  
  
He shook it off. 'I know I don't have a chance with her. This is as close as I'm ever going to get. I might as well enjoy it while I can."  
  
Unobtrusively, he began to take the last step that would assure his victory for the evening.  
  
"Two, please."  
  
Ginny handed him his cards, then helped herself to three. She stared at them. Blinking, she wondered if she was simply imagining it, but they remained unchanged. It seemed fortune was with her this evening, and had granted her a straight flush.  
  
"I know we didn't ante in the beginning, so how about we start now. I'll bet you everything you have against everything I have."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Winner takes all."  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
"One of us is about to leave the table naked."  
  
"I couldn't have put it better myself," she said with a smile.  
  
"Well then, time to show 'em."  
  
They both lay their cards down simultaneously.  
  
"Yes!" He thought.  
  
"No!" She screamed.  
  
There before her, lay her straight flush..and his royal one.  
  
Horrified, she looked back and forth between his smug expression and her cards, the hand that had betrayed her.  
  
"Well Vir-gin-ia. Time to pay up."  
  
Ginny looked up at her opponent, chin trembling and tears threatening to fall. She had never really even been kissed, and now she was going to have to take off her clothes for her family's worst enemy.  
  
And take them off she would because, despite everything, she was a Gryffindor, brave to the point of stupidity, and prizing her honor above most else in this world. No matter how much she didn't want to, no matter how painful it was, she wouldn't, couldn't back out of a deal, even if it was one made with the devil himself.  
  
Standing up slowly, Ginny lifted her chin to steady it, and blinked back her tears. She may have to lose the clothes, but she would remain in control, even if it killed her.  
  
Ginny took a deep breath, and reached around behind her for the clasp on her skirt and..  
  
"Wait."  
  
'What did he say?' she thought.  
  
'What did I say?' he asked himself, but deep down, he knew. He couldn't make her go through with it. He had intended to use her honor against her, to manipulate her for a quick peek at the object of his obsession, but he just couldn't go through with it. Perhaps he was losing his edge, or perhaps he simply did have a heart, but he wouldn't make her do it. Draco would readily admit that he was a bastard, but seeing the object of his affections in emotional pain brought forth a protective instinct he didn't know he possessed. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her, and as he watched her so fiercely try to be brave, he knew that this was destroying his Ginny.  
  
"You don't have to do this."  
  
"A bet's a bet and I lost fair and squa."  
  
"I really did think you would catch on quicker."  
  
"Excuse me."  
  
It felt awful, but it had to be done. The only way to help her to get over the embarrassment and forget his lapse into a decent guy was to make her mad.at him!  
  
"I mean, I know Gryffs aren't known for their quick wit, but, Vir-gin-ia, it was so obvious that I was cheating."  
  
"What!"  
  
"It was fun and all, cheating you out of your clothing, seeing how far you were willing to go for a stupid toad, but I never had any real desire to see you naked. If I'd have known you'd be so dense about it, I would have never started this with you in the first place."  
  
Ginny began to see red.  
  
"Who know you were so gullible! Honestly, as if I would ever want to see your scrawny little.umph!"  
  
Draco never did get to finish that thought, for at that moment Ginny finally managed to hit him with something..herself.  
  
Scrambling over the table, Ginny leapt on Draco in her attempt to strangle him, knocking his chair, with him in it, over in the process.  
  
Completely unaware of the compromising nature of her position, Ginny started smacking the boy that was now underneath her.  
  
"You stupid, selfish, arrogant bastard! I swear I'm going to."  
  
Draco desperately grabbed for Ginny's wrists. Although he would never admit it, the phrase 'hits like a girl' was very deceiving. It hurt!  
  
It took three attempts, but on the third try, he managed to catch them. What he didn't count on was that Ginny's arm still had enough momentum from the swing to throw her off balance.  
  
Ginny wasn't sure what had happened, but one minute she was beating up Draco, and the next she was flush against his chest .on top of him .both of them only partially clothed.  
  
Ginny didn't know if this was a dream come true or her worst nightmare.  
  
Draco was sure he had to be dreaming. The girl of his fantasies was merely inches away from his face, chest to chest with him. Granted, she wasn't there by her own design, but still, a guy had to take what he could get.  
  
Before he could think the better of it, Draco quickly leaned up to catch her lips. One hand left her wrists and made it's way to the flaming red hair that had already begun to escape from its braid, the hair that he had wanted to touch for so long.  
  
Ginny struggled, but only for a moment. It was only a token attempt anyway. She had never wanted anything more than she wanted that kiss at that moment. Relaxing, she spread her hands out over his chest for balance, and let herself get lost in that kiss.  
  
And what a kiss it was. Draco kissed her slowly, thoroughly, like a drowning man desperate for air. He couldn't seem to get enough of her; she tasted like fresh rain, butterbeer, and all of his favorite things.  
  
She couldn't get enough of him. Later, when she was able to think, she would come to believe that he had kissing down to an art, beyond the mundane and into the extraordinary. But for now, she was content to lose herself in the sensations that started wherever their skin made contact, and spread throughout her body as a warm glow.  
  
And then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over. Pulling apart at the same time, breathing heavily, they simply looked at each other for a moment. Then, the spell broken, Ginny scrambled off him, turned toward the table, and in one movement, grabbed her clothes on her mad dash to the door. Not looking back, she ducked into a dark alcove and waited for her traitorous heart to quiet as she allowed the stones to cool her heated skin.  
  
Back in the room, Draco slowly sat up in a daze. Mechanically, he reached for his things and put them on, one by one. Why he thought he could be satisfied with a simple encounter, he couldn't fathom. He was beyond obsessed. She was in his blood, his soul..his heart.  
  
Bloody hell.  
  
He was in love with her.  
  
Sinking down in her chair, he stared at the remnants of the game; the only telltale reminders that what had taken place was not just a figment of his imagination. The cards, the butterbeer, the two glasses.. they were all still here. Only, she wasn't. She had been so desperate to escape him, she had left without demanding the toad - her entire purpose for coming. not that it mattered. The animal had been returned hours ago, anonymously by owl.  
  
Draco put his head in his hands.  
  
What was he going to do now?  
  
What was she going to do now? Fully clothed, but no calmer, Ginny started back to her dorm room. It was all so confusing. Was Draco just toying with her? Did he really like her? And then there was that kiss, oh, that kiss.what did that mean and, how did she feel about it? After all, it was Draco.  
  
Ginny's heart gave a small lurch. He was Draco, not Malfoy, not ferret boy, but Draco now. And far from regretting that kiss, she found herself relieving it, wondering if it would ever happen again. Longing for the boy that made her feel both miserable and alive at the same time.  
  
Ginny suddenly stopped still in the middle of the hallway, shock registering on her face.  
  
'Bloody hell,' she thought. 'I'm in love with him!'  
  
THE END..OR IS IT JUST THE BEGINNING? 


End file.
